In the first half of this year 2,767 service establishments were raided. 46 per cent were found to be supplying sex workers and were fined nearly VNĐ11 billion (US$488,890). Photo of Vnexpress Viet Nam News HCM CITY - The HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has said it will step up checks of service establishments that are likely to surreptitiously employ sex workers to combat prostitution. It said in a report there were 34 roads with such establishments as well as sex workers soliciting on the street in the first half of this year. It collaborated with the police and other agencies to uncover 63 cases and stop prostitution on 11 of the streets. They are in Bình Tân, Phú Nhuận, Bình Thạnh, and Thủ Đức districts. Speaking at a workshop to review efforts to crack down on prostitution in the first six months, Lê Văn Quý, deputy head of the department's Social Evils Prevention … [Read more...]
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City methadone programmes treat over 4,000 addicts
HCM CITY - The methadone detoxication programme in HCM City has had the desired effect and contributed to security and social order, the city People's Committee has reported. The pilot programme began in 2008 and now includes 19 methadone treatment centres across the city, where a total of 4,029 patients have been treated, the city's HIV/AIDS Prevention Committee reported on Monday. Trần Ngọc Du, director of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affair's Social Evils Prevention Department, said the current number of methadone treatment patients only constitute half the targeted number. The city plans to set up three more centres in late 2016, to accommodate an additional 1,500 patients. Nguyễn Thị Hồng Phượng, director of the Consultative and Drug Rehabilitation Centre under the city's Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Department, said the facility had treated 359 drug addicts during two years ( May, 2014 - May, 2016). At … [Read more...]
HCM City setting up club to help sex workers
VietNamNet Bridge – A club for women at high risk of falling into prostitution will be set up in HCM City to apprise the women about labour laws and test them for sexually transmitted disease, a city official said. Illustrative image -- File photo Huynh Thanh Khiet, deputy head of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that the new club would be similar to the one already operating - the Sen Xanh Club for women sex workers. Ngo Mong Linh, the head of Sen Xanh, said she used to be a sex worker and is able to encourage others to attend her club. Information about the assistance provided by Sen Xanh is spread by word of mouth between sex workers, Linh said. At the club they get health and psychological counselling, are taught about legal procedures to obtain personal papers and are provided with vocational training and assistance to start small businesses, often in co-operation with other partners. The most disadvantaged among them are provided with … [Read more...]
HCM City creates club to help at-risk women
HCM City (VNA) - A club for women at high risk of falling into prostitution will be set up in HCM City to apprise the women about labour laws and test them for sexually transmitted disease, a city official said. Huynh Thanh Khiet, Deputy Head of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that the new club would be similar to the one already operating - the Sen Xanh Club for women sex workers. Ngo Mong Linh, the head of Sen Xanh, said she used to be a sex worker and is able to encourage others to attend her club. Information about the assistance provided by Sen Xanh is spread by word of mouth between sex workers, Linh said. At the club they get health and psychological counselling, are taught about legal procedures to obtain personal papers and are provided with vocational training and assistance to start small businesses, often in cooperation with other partners. The most disadvantaged among them are provided with free health insurance. The club was set up in late … [Read more...]
City setting up club to help sex workers
HCM CITY - A club for women at high risk of falling into prostitution will be set up in HCM City to apprise the women about labour laws and test them for sexually transmitted disease, a city official said. Huỳnh Thanh Khiết, deputy head of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that the new club would be similar to the one already operating - the Sen Xanh Club for women sex workers. Ngô Mộng Linh, the head of Sen Xanh, said she used to be a sex worker and is able to encourage others to attend her club. Information about the assistance provided by Sen Xanh is spread by word of mouth between sex workers, Linh said. At the club they get health and psychological counselling, are taught about legal procedures to obtain personal papers and are provided with vocational training and assistance to start small businesses, often in co-operation with other partners. The most disadvantaged among them are provided with free health insurance. … [Read more...]
Prostitution prevention programme launched
The nationwide prostitution prevention programme for 2016-2020 was launched at a conference held by the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) in Hanoi on May 12. At the conference, Nguyen Xuan Lap, Head of the MOLISA’s Social Evils Prevention Department, highlighted that the programme focuses on prevention measures while building mechanisms to protect human rights and enhancing access to the social security system for the disadvantaged groups such as sex workers and victims of human trafficking. Participants proposed that relevant ministries and branches to promote education campaigns on prostitution prevention while increasing crackdowns on prostitution operations, among other measures. According to report from 63 provinces and cities, there are 11,240 prostitutes on record nationwide, mostly in Red River Delta, North Central, South Eastern and Mekong Delta regions. … [Read more...]
Friendly rehab for Ho Chi Minh City drug addicts
Ho Chi Minh City has been establishing a friendly rehabilitation environment for local drug addicts, providing them with easy access to treatment and psychological assistance during their recovery. Drug users in Vietnam were previously treated as criminals, resulting in addicts shying away from getting help and recovery at local rehabilitation centers. Efforts have been made to give a new perspective to the problem, changing the perception toward drug addicts as patients who need treatment, in the hope that this will encourage users to approach the facilities for help. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters have documented the working day of Le Van Ho, an officer at a rehabilitation center in Ward 8, District 4 and got some insights into the recovery process. At 8:00 am, Ho drives his car to the house of Pham Duc Minh, a 23-year-old drug addict, and carries him to the rehabilitation center in the southern province of Dong Nai. "Minh has lived a harsh life. He got married at … [Read more...]
Elderly give back but not all are cared for
Staying active: Elderly people in Hung Thang Hamlet of Hai Duong Province do tai chi exercises every day. — VNA/VNS Photo Manh Minh As Viet Nam’s elderly phase into retirement, they aren’t standing still – many donate their time to rehabilitate addicts or give health check ups. Others stay fit and social. But is society giving them the assistance they need? Nguyen Thanh Ha reports. Nguyen Thi Nham, 65, who lives in Ha Noi’s Quynh Loi Ward of Hai Ba Trung District, has joined a volunteer club that helps rehabilitate drug addicts. All the club’s 10 members are retired. They are enthusiastic about helping these former addicts and their families. Nham and her club members have worked with individuals and organisations in the district to find jobs for the former addicts. “This task is very difficult,” Nham said, and added that club members used their former relationships with businesses and organisations to find jobs. She recalled that when … [Read more...]
HCM City proposes to set up special zones for sensitive services
VietNamNet Bridge –Areas for sensitive services should be established in some cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Nam Dinh, an official from HCM City said at a recent conference reviewing the prostitution prevention program in 2011-2015. Currently, there are over 160,000 businesses supplying sensitive services, up 88,000 compared with the 2006-2010 period. Of these, nearly 70,000 establishments have female employees under 35 years old, with more than 6,000 female employees suspected of being involved in prostitution, and more than 11,000 sex workers recorded. Mr. Le Van Quy, vice head of the HCM City Social Evil Prevention Bureau, said the firms and units offering sensitive services (bars, karaoke, night clubs, massage parlors, etc.) should be gathered into a specialized area to facilitate state management and to ensure the interest of workers. Through this model, social organizations can help prostitutes return to normal life through legal advisory and … [Read more...]
Sexual abuse victims receive social integration support
A three-year project on building policies and helping female victims of sexual abuse integrate into society has yielded encouraging outcomes, as heard during a conference held in Hanoi on October 26. The initiative has established a pilot integration model for victims while enhancing personnel’s relevant knowledge, skills and management capacity. Consultation and legal services, vocational training courses and job offers were provided to assist the women to improve livelihoods with higher incomes. Seventy-two out of 82 women taking part in vocational training courses, such as make-up application, hairdressing, graphic design and hotel hospitality, have completed their instructions. Of them, 42 have followed the careers and are making up to VND5 million (US$224) per month. Meanwhile, the project launched a support programme for 40 start-up models, which equipped participants with the necessary financial skills and basic equipment to start their own business. Major … [Read more...]
Prostitution, drug abuse on the rise in HCM City
Prostitution and drug abuse, particularly the use of amphetamines, have increased in the last five months in HCM City, Tran Ngoc Du, head of the city's Social Evils Prevention Division, warned at a workshop held in HCM City on Thursday. Police have discovered 58 more sites of prostitution since the beginning of the year. In addition, more prostitutes are working on streets where police do not make regular checks, according to Du. Despite prevention activities by police, prostitution continues to occur on more city streets and service facilities. The city has a total of 32,262 service facilities. Of these, small hotels, karaoke bars and clubs, massage parlours and coffee shops are often sites of prostitution activities. Inspections of 1,023 of these facilities from January to May found 667 violations. The facilities were fined more than VND8 billion (US$380,952). As many as 556 prostitutes and clients of prostitutes were detained by police. Du said that the city also offered job … [Read more...]
Prostitution, drug abuse on the rise
Police have discovered 58 more sites of prostitution since the beginning of the year. In addition, more prostitutes are working on streets where police do not make regular checks. — Illustrative image/ Photo zing HCM CITY (VNS) — Prostitution and drug abuse, particularly the use of amphetamines, have increased in the last five months in HCM City, Tran Ngoc Du, head of the city's Social Evils Prevention Division, warned at a workshop held in HCM City on Thursday. Police have discovered 58 more sites of prostitution since the beginning of the year. In addition, more prostitutes are working on streets where police do not make regular checks, according to Du. Despite prevention activities by police, prostitution continues to occur on more city streets and service facilities. The city has a total of 32,262 service facilities. Of these, small hotels, karaoke bars and clubs, massage parlours and coffee shops are often sites of prostitution activities. Inspections of 1,023 of … [Read more...]
Voluntary teams share experience in social work
Volunteers localities nationwide gathered at a seminar in Hanoi on January 27 to share their experience in operating communal-level voluntary social work teams. As part of the project "Asia Action on Harm Reduction", the event was jointly organised by the Department of Social Evils Prevention (DSEP) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Centre for Supporting Community Development (SCDI). There are 2,570 voluntary social work teams with over 17,000 volunteers operating in 36 provinces and cities across the country. They provide consultations and support for vulnerable groups such as drug addicts, people living with HIV/AIDS, prostitutes and victims of human trafficking. The network serves as a bridge connecting social organisations, authorities and communities. SCDI and DSEP have co-worked to design a training programme and manuals for volunteers, providing them with basic knowledge and skills in line with the State’s policies on prevention of … [Read more...]
Kon Tum province to implement Methadone maintenance treatment program
The first methadone treatment facility in Kon Tum province will officially be launched in early April 2015. The facility, which will be located in Ngo May ward, Kon Tum city, Kom Tum province, will receive and provide methadone for about 100 drug users. In addition, the province will carry out activities to raise awareness of drug users and people of the voluntary detoxification treatment with methadone. According to the Department of Social Evils Prevention, eight provinces have not implemented drug detoxification for drug users in centers and community, including Kon Tum, Hung Yen, Dien Bien, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Phu Yen, Quang Ngai and Dak Nong. This will be a progress, contributing to raising awareness of drug users about drug detoxification, reducing crimes caused by drug users, reducing the danger of HIV infection and helping social order in the locality./. … [Read more...]
Drug addicts need post-detox therapy
The head of Ho Chi Minh City's Psychological Hospital has recommended that drug addicts be given mental-health therapy after they complete detoxification services. Dr. Trinh Tat Thang that addicts who are treated at ward and commune health centres are especially in need of such care. Ward and commune health centres currently are only responsible for identifying the level of addiction of each individual and suggesting a detox regimen. Addicts who have a more serious condition are treated with methadone. Thang told a recent meeting on drug treatment for addicts at community-based health facilities that 40-60 percent of addicts have mental health problems. Those who use amphetamine-type stimulants often become depressed after their detox regimen concludes. Dong Van Ngoc, a representative from the municipal Department of Health's Medical Affairs Division, said it is difficult to identify the severity of addiction because of the lack of qualified staff and facilities. For this … [Read more...]
Vietnam launches new pilot to help sex workers
Ho Chi Minh City has launched the Sen Xanh (Green Lotus) peer support group to improve sex workers' access to social services. Photo: Minh Hung The central Department of Social Evils Prevention has launched a new trial project to help the country's sex workers access social services. The project will be carried out in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Quang Ninh over the next three years. A third of the project's VND6 billion (US$281,700) budget was contributed by Care, a non-governmental organization active in the field. The project aims to prevent social stigmatization and discrimination from men and government agencies from cutting off social services for sex workers. It also strives to help equip sex workers with the skills they need to protect themselves against violence and extortion. Le Van Quy, deputy director of the HCMC Social Evils Prevention Agency, said that participating sex workers will also receive information about how to protect themselves from HIV and other … [Read more...]
Nearly VND6 billion to help prostitutes to access social services
Prostitutes in Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh city and Can Tho city will be helped to access social services thanks a project on building pilot models on strengthening people's ability to access social services, launched by the Ministry of Labour, War-Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and Care on November 17th. According to the MOLISA's Department of Social Evil Prevention and Control , during the 10 months of this year, prostitution prevention has been carried out strictly. However, the situation remains complicated. A survey conducted by the MOLISA shows that nearly 25% of reported prostitutes have given up their work but failed and over 48% of them want to leave the work because they are afraid of discrimination and being infected with contagious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The main reason they want to continue their work is simply economics. In the last several years, the Government has issued policies to support prostitutes to get loans to build a stable life. However, many of … [Read more...]
Tuoi Tre seminar offers solutions to drug detoxification problems in Vietnam megacity
Many practical solutions were proposed by the participants in a seminar organized on Friday by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on how to improve the problematic drug detoxification work in Ho Chi Minh City. >> Voluntary drug detoxification a flop in Vietnam … [Read more...]
Drug rehab programme draws few participants
HCM CITY (VNS) - HCM City's two-year-old community-based treatment for drug addicts has not proven very successful due to various reasons, including the fact that admission for treatment is voluntary. Since the programme began in 2012 only 204 people have been treated so far while authorities had hoped to treat 700 by next year, according to a report from the Counselling Centre for Drug Addiction Treatment in Thu Duc District released at a workshop to review the programme last Friday. The centre is in charge of the programme. Le Van Quy, its chief, said it fails to attract addicts because it is voluntary and they lack the resolve to go through with it. … [Read more...]
Rehab plans for drug addicts
HCM CITY (VNS) - Provinces and cities have been asked to create an action plan for community-based treatment for drug addicts in an aim to reduce the number of patients at rehabilitation centres from 63 per cent to 20 per cent by 2015, and 6 per cent by 2020. Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam has urged localities to set up counseling centres in their wards or communes for drug addicts. Speaking at a two-day conference that ended yesterday, he said counselors should urge drug addicts to voluntarily visit community-based treatment facilities. … [Read more...]